Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Surviving and Indulging in an Unwelcoming Host

Abstract

More than a century has passed since the identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) as the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), we still are nowhere close to eradicating this deadly disease. Moreover, emergence of new drug-resistant strains has further complicated the situation, making it even more difficult to treat by conventional therapy regimens. Humans are the only reservoir for the existence and propagation of Mtb, which suggests that its latent forms will be most difficult to eradicate, till the human race lasts. Mtb has been associated with us for ages and its evolution is strictly guided to exploit its human host for survival and spread. The strategies employed by Mtb are unique and host specific, thereby making it hard to break this association without accurate understanding of this host-pathogen interaction. Metabolic pathways have always been at the heart of Mtb pathogenesis, with a continuous cross-talk between the pathogen and the host. Over the years, Mtb has mastered the art of manipulating the host machinery, along with modulating its own metabolism for survival in the hostile conditions. Here we aim to summarize the history of tuberculosis, its pathology and recent advances in basic understanding of the machinery, with eventual gape on the novel therapeutic strategies emerged in the past decade. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 70(9):917-925, 2018.

Itaconate, Arginine, and Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid: A Host Metabolite Triad Protective Against Mycobacterial Infection

“…Studies involving nonhuman primate TB granulomas showed that M1 polarization is related to a favorable disease outcome (22). During infection, TB granulomas are the active sites of host-Mtb interactions, where Mtb develops mechanisms to resist host protective immunity, and the host localizes the condition (23)(24)(25)(26). The alveolar macrophages representing bacterial permissiveness are associated with fatty acid boxidation, when compared with glycolytically active interstitial macrophages (27).…”

An Overview on Tuberculosis and Worldwide Steps to Combat TB Including Awareness Programme in India

“…In Indian continent TB is oldest communicable, fatal contagious disease that is deeply rooted among Indian population. TB has a history of being together with mankind for very long and was first discovered by Hippocrates in 400 BC [2]. History has evidence that many emperors died and many empire demolished due to this fatal disease in India [3][4][5] .The first written documents describing TB, dating back to 3300 and 2300 years ago, were found in India and in China respectively [6].…”

Uncovering the Resistance Mechanism of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to Rifampicin Due to RNA Polymerase H451D/Y/R Mutations From Computational Perspective

“…Tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is the leading cause from a single infectious agent worldwide. Mtb, a pathogenic bacterium species of the family Mycobacteriaceae , can attack the lung of people and spread in the population through the droplets from the throat of an active TB infection patient (Mishra and Surolia, 2018). Millions of people continue to fall sick with TB each year.…”